Transportation Alternatives Should be the Solution

You learn a lot when you attempt to traverse a city using a form of transportation that has not been catered to for decades. Walking, biking, even 'bus-ing.' The ease with which our cities have attempted to solve the problems of congestion with an added lane on the highway, or roadway, calls to mind many other unimaginative choices that our cities/governments make. Further, the lack of attention to those that choose to get out of their car and use some human-power to move through cities, proves just how lazily our cities continue to use our tax dollars.

As much denser cities are finding, the addition of a lane-and the removal of a lane-do not effect the congestion levels on the road. Let me say that again--neither adding or removing a lane makes a proven improvement on congestion. Examples include the removal of a lane in Midtown NYC for a pedestrian park (video below) and the conversion of an auto lane in Vancouver for pedestrian traffic.

It is difficult to understand how these experiments can prove something that seems to have eluded our city planners, governments and, yes, commuters for so long. Nevermind the unexplained abandonment of street cars, trolleys, meaningful bus services and even responsible growth initiatives in many of our cities-adding a lane is an unsustainable, and highly costly choice that our cities make over and over and over. Never learning that simply adding a lane does not have a lasting impact on traffic.

I recently attended a meeting where the Tampa Downtown Partnership presented the progress and programs of the previous year, and at the very mention of light rail and high-speed rail, coming to Tampa and Florida respectively, and the room lit up.

People are hungry for the sexier, more progressive and "green" transportation alternative that Obama has made a priority. But, I wonder if they really understand the effects that a true commitment to mass transit will have on the city.With examples like Denver, Portland, Charlotte and even Phoenix, it seems that the results are speaking for themselves-now it's time to change the solution.

Why, you ask?

Photo above courtesy Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization

Midtown NYC takes away lane, adds pedestrian attraction: